onsdag 20 november 2013

Mobile Marketing a 1960


I found an interesting picture while surfing that Internet thing today. It is two old, Ericsson labeled busses on what seems to be the Island in Toronto, circa 1970. Since my girlfriend is Canadian, and used to live in Toronto, the CN Tower is a very easily recognizable landmark to me. The added bonus of the Swedish vehicles sparked my interest and I decided to do some digging into this picture and its origins.

Ericsson opened its first Canadian office in Montreal in 1953, selling telephones and intercoms systems to telephone companies and to private businesses. As the Canadian market and business continued to flourish, in 1976 Ericsson came up with an innovative way of meeting its customers – on wheels. So in 1976, Ericsson in Canada introduced the Eribus, a customized motorhome developed and designed for visiting clients for on-site product presentations and meetings.


The Eribus was a fully equipped mobile meeting space with a conference table, projector, various product demonstrations and a small kitchen to host customers who were unable to visit the Ericsson showrooms. In a country as large, and scarcely populated as Canada, the Eribus proved to be an excellent take on an early virtual office.

Today this idea seems rather stone age, virtual meeting rooms are a given at any modern office, but it is a interesting idea that it all started with a pair of busses.

2 kommentarer:

  1. Considering the time period that was pretty advanced! My Aunt lives in Toronto and calls it a wonderful place to live.

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  2. it was truly ahead of its time, but this was also in a time when marketing departments had almost an unlimited amount of money - corky marketing ploys was the norm! i can just imagine the freedom of working in marketing in the 70ts and 80ts: anything goes!

    toronto is a very nice city. its got all the buzz of a big city but you never feel really crowded. also; canadas only basketball team :). you should pay your aunt a visit some day!

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